1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of snowboarding which is a sport wherein a person uses a single board, generally wider than a snow ski but almost as long, for recreational travel down a snow-covered inclined surface. More particularly, this invention pertains to a mounting on which the snow boot binding may be fastened to the snowboard that is rotatably adjustable and thereafter easily locked by quick action using a novel mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The popularity of snowboarding is growing all over the world and it is beginning to rival skiing as a recreational sport. In snowboarding, the person stands on the board with both feet and their body angled to the central or long axis of the board, similar to that observed in the use of a surfboard. The same snow-covered slopes and surfaces are used for snowboarding as in skiing, as well as chair lifts and other lift devices.
As in skiing, the snowboard user wears a protective boot that fits into a manually releasable binding that in turn is attached to the top surface of the snowboard. While the bindings on skiis are aligned in spaced-apart configuration directly with the central axis of each ski, in snowboarding, the bindings are placed at an angle to the central axis of the board. Normally, the binding is bolted to the upper surface of the snowboard and adjustment to the angle is only possible by unbolting and repositioning the whole binding.
Just as there are different lengths of skis desired by various skiers, the angle of the binding to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard is of importance to the snowboarder. Some snowboarders wish to have a greater angle than others and some even wish to have a different angle between the front foot and the rear foot vis-a-vis the board's central axis. Even further, some individuals wish to stand facing left of the board while others desire to stand facing the right.
These variations require the snowboard binding to be capable of being rotated with respect to the central axis of the snowboard. Presently, the state of the art of snowboarding allows the binding plate to be adjusted only by moving the plate about a central point over a plurality of holes drilled through the plate and through the snowboard that are aligned and through which are passed a series of threaded bolts or other fasteners. In addition, there are no means in the present state of the art to allow any degree of flexation between such bindings as they are bolted directly to the snowboard, thereby placing a significant amount of strain on the snowboard and on the muscles, ligaments, joints and bones of the user when operating the snowboard and changing directions by shifting his or her weight.
As with a wide variety of sporting equipment, snowboards are rented at ski slopes as are skiis ski boots and other paraphernalia. The position of the users' boots in the bindings is generally adjusted at the place of rental. Thereafter, should the user decide or determine to change position of his or her feet on the snowboard, they must return to the place of rental and wait in line for the mechanic to remove the bolts and reposition the bindings. Some people do not wish to undertake this wait and accordingly continue to use a snowboard with their boots in an undesirable position which may cause further damage to the body.
Still further, while a skier sits in the chair lift with his or her skiis pointing straight ahead, thus not intruding into the adjacent seat occupied by another skier, the snowboard user, with his or her feet set at an angle to the board's central axis, must cock the board so that it intrudes into the space occupied by the adjacent skier as straightening the board with feet pointed straight ahead places severe stress on the user's ankle and leg. Without a convenient method of aligning the snowboard with the skiis of the skier, the snowboard user poses inconvenience to the chair lift rider or danger to himself or herself.